My first thought when someone tells me about England? No doubt: Elizabeth, Her Majesty The Queen, the queen of the English, but probably the queen of all of us. I was born and raised during her reign and she remains a great source of inspiration and admiration.
It is not a coincidence therefore, that the Italian writer Paola Calvetti with her book “Elizabeth II - Portrait of the Queen” monopolized my moments of reading. I knew the writer for other publications (“Noi due come un romanzo”, one of my favorite books) and I was pleasantly impressed by her passion for Her Majesty. The author tells the story of the sovereign through the photographers who portrayed her during her very long reign and who tried, though for a few moments, to capture the woman beyond the crown.
Ascent to the throne at the age of only twenty-six, she has become a point of reference for her subjects, as well as a symbol for the whole world thanks to her self-discipline and her sense of duty and responsibility. I love everything about her: the hats, the Hermès scarfs collection, the lipsticks she always carries in her bag and the Earl Gray mug with which she begins the day.
One of the first places I visited in England was Windsor. I proceeded excitedly through the rooms of the castle looking for her face, as if she was there next to me looking at the splendid gardens that can be seen from the large windows. That place and that moment were for me unforgettable.
The writer Paola Calvetti described The Queen as a country aristocrat, a lover of dogs and horses, a woman who probably gave up the life she wanted to ascend the throne and become a guiding light for all. I remembered a photograph taken by Bruce Weber of a beautiful country aristocrat: Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, portrayed while she was feeding her chickens in a perfect evening dress. Elegance and country life. What a dream!
When Elizabeth returned from her trip to Kenya to a London in mourning for the disappearance of King George VI, Queen Mary wrote: "Today you will not only mourn the death of your father but also that of Elizabeth Mountbatten, who today dies of give way to Queen Elizabeth. The two Elizabeths will always be in conflict with each other. The fact is that in this conflict the crown must win. You must always win. "
On the days when I wake up with the paturnias (so dear to Audrey Hepburn), those few lines become essential to rediscover the sense of duty. Just like Lilibeth has done all these years.
Deborah Cavendish, Duchessa di Devonshire
TEA TIME!
TEA TIME! Accompany the reading with a classic Earl Gray, black tea flavored with bergamot so dear to Queen Elizabeth. For a real royal touch I suggest the one of Fortnum & Mason, official suppliers of the English Royal House.
